Alejandro (song)
"Alejandro" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It is the third single from her second studio album, The Fame Monster (2009). Co-written and produced by RedOne, it is composed as a mid-tempo Europop song with an uplifting melody, where Gaga sings about bidding farewell to her lovers. It was inspired by Gaga's "Fear of Sex Monster". Critics noted it to be heavily influenced by ABBA and Ace of Base, and predominantly gave positive reviews for it. "Alejandro" charted on the UK Singles Chart prior to its official release, and reached the top-five on the Hungarian Singles Chart due to download sales from the album. It has also charted in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States—where it became her seventh successive single to reach the top-ten of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100 Billboard Hot 100]. Gaga performed the song on both legs of The Monster Ball Tour, portraying a sexual innuendo scene with her dancers. The song was also performed on the ninth season of American Idol on May 5, 2010. A music video for the single, which was directed by photographer Steven Klein, was released on June 8, 2010. It was inspired by Gaga's love for her gay friends and admiration of gay love—"her envy of the courage and bravery they require to be together". The music video portrays Gaga with a group of soldiers in a cabaret, dancing to the song. It is interspersed with scenes of Gaga as a nun swallowing a rosary and near-naked men, holding machine guns. The music video received from mixed to positive reviews, with critics complimenting its idea and dark nature, while the Catholic League attacked Gaga for her use of blasphemy, despite Klein dismissing the idea and claiming the scene in question (the swallowing of the Rosary beads) was Gaga's "desire to take in the Holy". Background Originally, "Dance in the Dark" was planned to follow the previous single, "Telephone", as a preference of Gaga's record label. The singer's own choice "Alejandro", initially saw poor reception radio-wise, thereby was not seen as a viable choice for a single. A quarrel then arose between Gaga and her label where "Alejandro" was ultimately chosen to be released. Through her account on Twitter, the singer remarked on the decision, "Alejandro is on the radio. Fuck it sounds so good, we did it little monsters."[3][4] The single was officially sent to radio on April 20, 2010 in the United States.[5] In an interview with Fuse TV, Gaga said that the inspiration behind "Alejandro" was her "Fear of Sex Monster".[6] mid-tempo song with heavy Europop and disco influences, "Alejandro" is influenced by ABBA and Ace of Base.78 The Ace of Base influences are prominent in the beats of the song, the vocals and the melody and lastly, in Gaga's non-English accent while singing the song. The words are slurred in her mouth while consisting of an uplifting melody.[9] It incorporates the melody from the violin show piece "Csárdás" by Italian composer Vittorio Monti.[10] The song opens with the weeping violin, as a distressed Gaga sings: "I know that we are young, and I know that you may love me/But I just can't be with you like this anymore, Alejandro." The track then changes to a stomping Europop beat. Gaga bids her ex-lovers farewell with a bitter-heart pre-chorus where she sings: "You know that I love you, boy/Hot like Mexico, rejoice!/At this point I've got to choose/Nothing to lose." By the end of the song, the three protagonists – Alejandro, Fernando and Roberto – are bid farewell by Gaga.[7] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is set in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 99 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor with Gaga's vocal range spanning from F♯3 to G5. The song verse has a basic sequence of Bm–D–F♯m–Bm–D–F♯m as its chord progression.[10] The lyrics talk about Gaga defending herself against a harem of Latin men and has a number of ABBA allusions, including a reference to their 1976 song "Fernando", which Gaga cited as one of her influences.811 'Critical reception' Chris Ryan from MTV described the song as a "lush paean to a love that's 'hot like Mexico'."[11] Bill Lamb from About.com compared it with Madonna's 1987 "classic" song "La Isla Bonita," though with a "contemporary edge."[12] In a separate review, Lamb added that "While 'Alejandro' would be unlikely to be identified as Lady Gaga's best, it is one more solid jewel in her crown of seven consecutive major pop hit singles."[13] Chava Thomas from The Argonaut gave a negative review, saying that it is "the one low point on The Fame Monster," adding that "the song feels forced, and its Latin beat does not mesh well with Lady Gaga's style."[14] Evan Sawdey from PopMatters said that Gaga's vocals sounded like those of Shakira's, in the chorus of the song.[15] Ben Patashnik from NME called the song light-hearted.[16] Michael Hubbard of MusicOMH complimented the song as "brilliantly catchy, deceptively simple and wonderfully melancholy,"[9] while Sarah Hajibagheri from The Times dismissed it for being a "painful Latino warble and a would-be Eurovision reject."[17] The Boston Globe's James Reed also gave a negative review of the song, who wrote that it is "a tepid dance track where she trills the song title over and over as if she had nothing better to say."[18] Comparisons with Swedish pop music groups ABBA and Ace of Base's work were constant in reviews. Paul Lester from BBC felt that "Alejandro" "moves at an Ace of Base pace."[19] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine also made an Ace of Base connection calling the song an homage to them.[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic denoted the song as an "updated ABBA revision".[20] Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times called it bubbly and also went to compare with ABBA's style.[21] Jon Dolan from Rolling Stone called it a "loving ABBA spoof".[22] Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork Media noted that although "Alejandro" is a ABBA morph, "it comes off very modern, in part because U.S. pop and hip-hop is currently drawing heavily from Europop, hi-NRG, and dance music."[23] Lindsey Fortier from Billboard gave the single a positive review and compared it to Ace of Base's "Don't Turn Around", adding that: "By the song's end, Alejandro, Fernando and Roberto aren't the only ones sent packing—the listener is dancing out right behind them".[7] Brian R. Fitzgerland from the Wall Street Journal compared the song with Madonna's 1987 single "Who's That Girl".[24] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song five out of five stars and compared it to Madonna's song "La Isla Bonita" and Ace Of Base songs, but felt that Gaga added "her own twist to hers".[25] He also praised the song's melodies describing them as "deceptively catchy" and the lyrics as "wistful".[25] 'Chart performance' Gaga performing "Alejandro" on the European venues of The Monster Ball Tour.In the United States, "Alejandro" debuted at seventy-two on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100 Billboard Hot 100] for the issue dated April 17, 2010.[26] It has reached a peak of five on the chart, becoming Gaga's seventh consecutive top ten hit in the United States.[27] Gaga became the second female artist to have her first seven singles reach top-ten in the United States, since R&B singer Monica did so in 1995–99.[28] The song also debuted on the Mainstream Top 40 chart at thirty-five, and the Hot Digital Songs chart at seventy-one, after selling 24,000 paid digital downloads according to Nielsen Soundscan.[26] "Alejandro" has reached four on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.[27] It also debuted on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart at 40[29] and reached the top on the issue dated July 7, 2010.[30] The song has sold 1.34 million digital downloads, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[31] In Canada, "Alejandro" debuted at seventy-eight on the Canadian Hot 100 issue dated April 4, 2010,[32] and moved twenty-eight places, to number fifty the next week.[33] The song has reached a peak of four, on the issue dated May 8, 2010.[34] On April 5, 2010, the song debuted at number forty-nine in Australia on the official ARIA Singles Chart,[35] and moved to twenty-eight the next week, becoming the greatest gainer on the chart.[36] It has since reached the top five there, peaking at number two, thus becoming Gaga's seventh top five hit in the country.[37] "Alejandro" was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of 70,000 copies of the single.[38] The song debuted at thirty-five on the New Zealand Top 40 on April 21, 2010.[39] It has since peaked at number 14.[40] With the release of The Fame Monster, "Alejandro" charted on the UK Singles Chart at number seventy-five, on November 29, 2009 due to digital sales.[41] On the May 16, 2010, the song re-entered at number ninety five and has so far peaked at eight.[41] On the Mahasz issue dated December 6, 2009, the song debuted at number five on the Hungarian Singles Chart.[42] Across Europe, the song charted on Ultratip charts of Belgium, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia.[43] 'Music video' Development and release thumb|300px|right|Lady GaGa's official music video for "Alejandro".In January 2010, it was reported that Gaga was holding casting calls for the music video of "Alejandro" and was eager for David Walliams to appear in the video alongside his wife Lara Stone.4445 On March 23, 2010, Women's Wear Daily reported that photographer Steven Klein would be directing the music video, which Gaga confirmed herself in an interview.464748 While touring Australia with The Monster Ball Tour, Gaga was interviewed by Australian radio station, Melbourne's Nova 100, where she talked about the music video. She said, "I’m so excited about the ‘Alejandro’ video, ... Actually, we’re shooting it very soon and I don’t want to say who the director is yet because it’s going to give a lot away. ... Are you absolutely mad? I would never, ever tell you! the concept of the video I would be more likely to lie through my teeth to you regarding what the video’s about so that you could all be surprised. But I will tell you it’s not the sequel to the ‘Telephone’ video."[49] After confirming that Klein was directing her video, Gaga explained that she "doesn't know what video is going to look like until it's finished", and commented that "Klein is a very good friend of mine and I love him so much, ... I have so much respect for him. And we've been excited to collaborate and have a fashion photographer tell us a story, the story of my music through his lens and this idea of fashion and lifestyle." Gaga explained that Klein understood her "I am what I wear" lifestyle, making him a suitable director for the video. She added, "It's all about where I'm from and love of theater and love of music and love of the lie in art, and Steven really knows and understands that, .... So we're making a beautiful video, and I'm so excited."[50] In May 2010, Gaga told The Times about the concept of the video: "about the purity of my friendships with my gay friends, and how I've been unable to find that with a straight man in my life. It's a celebration and an admiration of gay love—it confesses my envy of the courage and bravery they require to be together. In the video I'm pining for the love of my gay friends—but they just don't want me to be with them."[51] A snippet of the video was shown on Larry King Live on June 1, 2010. The clip was from the portion of the video in black-and-white, where Gaga and her dancers perform variations on a sharp military march throughout. Kara Warner of MTV said that it seemed reminiscent of Madonna's "Vogue" video, but stated that in "Alejandro", Gaga's style was more cutting, masculine and militant in contrast to Madonna's. Because of the video's military theme, comparisons were also made to Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation".[52] On the program, Gaga said to King that the video has a "homoerotic military theme" ... "It is a celebration of my love and appreciation for the gay community, my admiration of their bravery, their love for one another and their courage in their relationships."[53] The video premiered on Gaga's official website and her YouTube/Vevo account on June 8, 2010, at noon EDT (8 June 2010, 16:00 UTC).[54] 'Synopsis' Lady Gaga dressed as a nun in a red Latex habit, swallowing rosary beads.A good part of the video is dedicated to the Broadway musical Cabaret[55] with a dance scene dedicated to Bob Fosse. The video begins with soldiers sleeping in a cabaret with a close-up of a soldier passed out in fishnet stockings and heels as another lone soldier stares into the distance.[55] The scene then cuts to male dancers performing elaborate choreography while marching forward. As the intro of the song begins, Gaga is shown leading a funeral procession, carrying the Sacred Heart on a pillow. When the lyrics begin, she sits on a throne wearing an elaborate headpiece and binocular-like eyepieces, with a smoking pipe in her hand, watching her dancers perform a rigorous routine in the snow.[55] Gaga is then seen as the character Sally Bowles from Cabaret, dancing and simulating sex acts with three men on a stage with twin beds surrounded by spotlights, all wearing nothing but underwear, intercut with shots of Gaga lying on a larger bed dressed in a red latex nun outfit.[56] She subsequently appears dressed in a white hooded robe reminiscent of Joan of Arc57 with her dancers, before a shot of her as the nun eating a rosary. After this, Gaga and her dancers are shown in a sequence in black-and-white in their military uniforms performing a tribute dedicated to the late choreographer Bob Fosse, who won an Academy Award for his direction of the film version of Cabaret.[58] Gaga is seen in a blonde bob and a similar outfit to one of Liza Minnelli's performance costumes. The video moves to a scene of her wearing a bra equipped with AR-15 assault rifle barrels and her dancers performing another dance routine. She is then shown in the empty club, scenes of war breaking out flash by, and the lone soldier appears again.[59] Going back to the Joan of Arc scene, she struggles with her dancers and disrobes. The video ends with her dressed as the nun, the film burning away from her face outwards. [55] Klein explained that the video was, "about a woman's desire to resurrect a dead love and who can not face the brutality of her present situation. The pain of living without your true love."[60] Reception James Montgomery from MTV commented that "Gaga has created a world that, while oppressive, also looks great."[55] In a separate piece Montgomery added that "... she may have finally reached the point in her career where not even she can top herself.", and "It really seems, for the first time I can certainly remember, a fair amount of critics and fans — be they casual or die-hard — are willing to step forward and say that they were less-than-impressed. This is a key moment in Lady Gaga's career." He goes on to say that "Alejandro" may be "Perhaps even her first misfire."[61] Critic Monica Herrera viewed the video as a hybrid of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" and Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation".[52] She explains "Alejandro courts religious controversy in much the same way that Madonna's 'Like a "Prayer' video once did, intermingling Catholic imagery like rosary beads and nun's robes with sexual cues" while the video's opening sequence displays her dancers "marching 'Rhythm Nation'-style through an industrial space."[52] MTV's Kyle Anderson found references to Madonna's 1996 film Evita and the music videos for her songs "Like a Prayer" and "Human Nature", besides "Vogue",[62] while Hollywood reporter Roger Friedman said that "GaGa and Klein are just regurgitating “Vogue” or “Justify My Love.”[63] Anthony Benigno from Daily News felt that "The shock songstress' new music video ... is chock full of bed-ridden S&M imagery that makes it look like the softcore answer to The Matrix.[56] Randall Roberts from Los Angeles Times said "the clip reinforces the notion that no one understands the convergence of image and music right now better than Gaga."[64] Jed Gottlieb from Boston Herald said that "The only thing prohibited the video is fun. 'Alejandro' presents a dark, somber and sad Lady Gaga; when she’s not sandwiched between writhing, rippled torsos, she’s brooding. The plot is hard to decipher, but it’s clearly not a story that ends happily ever after."[65] Devon Thomas from CBS News compared the video to Madonna's early Blond Ambition World Tour era by saying that "video is a visual love letter to Madonna" He also declared that "video plays out like a dark piece of macabre theatre and is a more introspective departure from her previous clip 'Telephone'."[66] Jen Dose from National Post commented "Even though I’m a little over Lady Gaga and her schtick by this point, I can’t deny that the woman has single-handedly brought back “event” music videos. Gaga’s new vid for 'Alejandro' certainly brings the crazy we’ve all come to expect from her. It’s like an 8+ minute homage to Madonna—with some gay Nazis thrown in for good measure".[67] Julie Moult from Daily Mail said "the video, no-one could accuse Lady Gaga of being the shy and retiring type."[59] The Catholic League criticized the video for its use of religious imagery.[68] In an interview with MTV, Klein explained that "The religious symbolism is not meant to denote anything negative, but represents the character's battle between the dark forces of this world and the spiritual salvation of the Soul. Thus at the end of the film, she chooses to be a nun, and the reason her mouth and eyes disappear is because she is withdrawing her senses from the world of evil and going inward towards prayer and contemplation." Klein added that the scene where Gaga devours the rosary beads is meant to represent "the desire to take in the Holy."[69] Singer Katy Perry took to her Twitter account and wrote, "Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling fart jokes." The Huffington Post ascertained that while Gaga had not been mentioned directly by name that it was definitely a slam by Perry towards Lady Gaga.[70] In an interview on NRJ Radio's Le 6/9, Perry said that the tweet was not solely about Gaga, stating, "What's funny is that everybody was assuming I was directing it completely towards her, and if I was directing something I would write their '@'. Lately, I've just been seeing some things that are kind of like, I don't know, in my own personal feelings, a little bit like not something I would do, I guess."[71] 'Live performances' Gaga during a sexual innuendo scene from the "Alejandro" performance on The Monster Ball Tour.Gaga performed "Alejandro" on her 2009-2010 world tour The Monster Ball. It was the fourth song of the set list on the North American leg of the tour. However, on the European and British legs of the tour the song was performed towards the end of the show. The live performance saw her wearing a silver bodysuit and then being carried by her crotch by one of her male dancers and lowered onto another male dancer, engaging in a threesome with them.[72] During the performance at San Diego, California, Gaga incorporated the city's name in the song, later commenting "I am so lucky that San Diego rhymes with 'Fernando' and 'Alejandro'."[73] Ted Shaw of Windsor Star commented that "Songs like 'Alejandro', 'Teeth' and 'Monster' shoved the sex act in your face."[74] T'Cha Dunlevy from The Gazette said that "the song followed in fast order, with not quite enough to set it apart. It was one choreographed dance number after the next."[75] Jeremy Adams from Rolling Stone commented that the performance was "one of several moments ... that gave parents in the audience consternation."[76] Jim Harrington from San Jose Mercury News compared Gaga's performance of the song with that of an erotic dancer.[77] On April 20, 2010, the song was performed by Gaga at the MAC AIDS Fund Pan-Asia Viva Glam launch in Tokyo where she wore a doily lace dress. She entered the stage in a procession inspired by a Japanese wedding, and as the lights dimmed, she sat at her piano on the rotating stage and belted out "Speechless", which was followed by the performance of "Alejandro", where she was picked up by one of her dancers, who appeared to be covered in talcum powder.7879 Gaga taped a medley of "Bad Romance" and "Alejandro" for the ninth season of American Idol on April 28, 2010.8081 Her performance aired on the show's May 5, 2010 episode.[82] The performance started with Gaga playing the piano for a slowed-down snippet of "Bad Romance". She was dressed in a revealing-but-veiled black outfit, wielding a cape and was surrounded by shirtless dancers. Halfway through the performance, she shed her cape and began writhing on the floor. Over in one corner of the stage, a statue of the Virgin Mary had flames pouring out of the top of it, as Gaga sang the chorus. Fog filled the stage, as Gaga and her dancers performed an energetic dance routine.[83] Larry Carroll from MTV called the performance "entergetic".[83] Brian R. Fitzgerland from the Wall Street Journal said that Gaga was a "damned talented" performer.[24] Luchina Fisher from ABC News called it a "thinly-veiled performance dripping with sex and violins" and "Gaga doing her best Madonna impression."[84] On July 8, 2010, the song was performed on The Today Show, where she sang it in a stage, outside the studio.[85]